The Government of Argentina labels people with disabilities as “idiots,” “imbeciles,” and “mentally weak.”

The National Disability Agency (ANDis), under the Ministry of Health of the government of Javier Milei, has sparked intense controversy after using derogatory terms to refer to people with disabilities in a resolution published in the Official Gazette of the Nation of Argentina.

The regulation, which sets medical criteria for assessing work disability in those receiving non-contributory pensions, has faced harsh criticism from various human rights organizations and associations representing people with disabilities.

The resolution, published in January 2025, classifies individuals with intellectual disabilities under the terms "idiot," "imbecile," and "feebleminded."

These categories are divided according to levels of disability, which include “profound”, “moderate”, and “mild”. Furthermore, it establishes that individuals with “profound or greater mental impairment” are eligible to receive a pension.

This language has been rejected as politically incorrect and discriminatory, as it reproduces and perpetuates stereotypes about people with disabilities.

Seven Argentine organizations, including the Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ) and the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), submitted an administrative complaint on February 3, calling for the repeal of the regulation. They argue that it violates the human rights of persons with disabilities and contravenes the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Agostina Quiroz, a lawyer from the Disability Rights Program of ACIJ, explained to EFE that the terms used in the resolution are "reproduced and reinforce historical prejudices that intensify discrimination against people with disabilities."

Moreover, he considered it particularly serious that the State resorts to this type of language, as it is the public administration that should be responsible for eradicating these prejudices.

The organizations pointed out that the State uses a medical approach to define disability, a model that, according to critics, has become outdated.

Instead of focusing solely on the person's "deficiency," the social model of disability, which is adopted by the Convention, asserts that disability results from the interaction between individual characteristics and environmental barriers.

According to this approach, the full inclusion and participation of people with disabilities depend on the transformation of society and the state, rather than their "normalization" through medical treatments.

The ACIJ statement emphasizes that there are no "invalid people" for work; rather, everyone can contribute if provided with the necessary support.

Attorney Quiroz added that the impact of the derogatory language used by the government has tangible effects both collectively and individually, as it contributes to the construction of a damaged identity in people with disabilities and reinforces social barriers that limit their full participation.

"The fact that public administration continues to use these terms to refer to certain individuals causes serious harm to them, their families, and society as a whole, as it reinforces stereotypes and attitudinal barriers that undermine the building of fairer and more inclusive communities," Quiroz concluded.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Use of Derogatory Language Towards People with Disabilities in Argentina